Vertical filing cabinet with fixed or movable compartments for standing or hanging up the folders therein



O. A. BECKER VERTICAL FILING CABINET WITH FIXED OR MOVABLE COMPARTMENTS Aug. 25, 1964 3,146,046

FOR STANDING OR HANGING UP THE FOLDERS THEREIN Filed Dec. 2 1960 7 djmazz/wr, r251; eg gfawm United States Patent VERTICAL FILING CABINET WITH FIXED 0R MOVABLE COMPARTMENTS FOR STAND- ING OR HANGING UP THE FOLDERS THEREIN Otto Alfred Becker, Robert Koch Strasse 59, Saarbrucken, Germany Filed Dec. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 78,927 3 Claims. (Cl. 312234.2)

The invention relates to a filing cabinet or the like with compartments for standing or hanging up the folders therein, said cabinet being fitted with an index panel carrying index strips upon which the contents of each folder in alphabetic order are shown against the numbers or other references which appear on tabs attached sequentially in staggered arrangement to the folders. Since the efiiciency of such a filing system depends upon the most convenient arrangement of the index panels which are intended to permit a quick and ready general survey to be made of the files contained in each compartment, the invention which will be hereinafter described relates more particularly to arranging index panels, or the like, for indexing folders kept in cabinets.

With stacked cabinets of similar construction at least their position in relation to the angle of view at different compartment levels will differ.

For this reason it is an advantage if the index panels or the like are arranged to be movable in such manner that the panels can be adjusted to a position in which they will face the direction from which they are viewed and thereby present the information they contain at optimum visibility.

Simple, convenient, and economical as solution of the filing problem appears to be, it has nevertheless never been solved satisfactorily. This is probably due to the fact that in the past the most convenient form of indexing the files was thought to be that of providing the folders themselves with identifying descriptions and arranging them in strict alphabetical order. Moreover the advantages in folder filing systems of combining an index with folders arranged by code numbers based on the decimal system do not appear to have been appreciated. Hitherto the drawer faces were merely provided with short references to their contents, such as words like Files from A-E.

If very compendious indexes are required the backing plates or the like may be provided with guide rails for slidable index cards. Such cards may also be provided on the inside of the faces of drawers.

Other advantages and details of the invention will be disclosed in the course of the following description of embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a filing cabinet having slidably mounted index means,

FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective view of the mounting means of the filing cabinet of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an alternative embodiment of the mounting means of FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cabinet 110 without doors. This cabinet comprises a spring loaded hollow shaft 111 known per se which is provided at both ends with spool means 112 containing a means such as a cable, a band 113 etc. connected to index means 118. The cabinet is provided at its front side with vertically arranged 3,146,046 Patented Aug. 25, 1964 Ice guide channels 114 for guiding each one plate 115. The end of the band 113 is connected to said plate 115 by means of a set screw 116. Each plate comprises an arm 117 extending perpendicularly to its plane. Said arms 117 are connected to an index plate 118 carrying the index cards 119. The springs provided within said hollow shaft 111 are balancing the weight of the index plates 118 so that these plates can be adjusted in any desired position without further movement. Additionally means may be provided for clamping these panels in one certain of a plurality of positions.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective sectional view of the means for mounting the index plate 118 to the bands 113 in a larger scale.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the mounting means for the index plate. In this case the spring loaded shaft may be omitted. The index plate 118 is provided with clamping means, f.i. axially slidably mounted studs 120 having enlarged heads 121. The heads 121 are urged towards the middle portion 114a of the guide channel 114 by means of springs 122 so that the index plate can be arrested in any desired position. The index plate 118 comprises U-shaped guide means 123 for guiding purposes within the guide channel.

I claim:

1. A filing cabinet comprising rectangular compartments arranged one upon another and adapted to house numbered folders therein; said compartments having index means mounted on a panel; said index means including at least as many replaceable labelling strips as there are folders located in said compartments; each of said labelling strips being associated with one of said folders and carrying a label and the number of said associated folder; said label on said labelling strip being indicative of the contents of the folder; said panel being located at the front side of said compartments and engaging guiding means extending vertically on both front side edges of the compartments so that the panel is slidably displaceable in the vertical direction parallel to the front side of the compartments.

2. A filing cabinet as set forth in claim 1 comprising friction means adapted to retain said panel in any adjusted position, said cabinet having a side through which folders are inserted and withdrawn from said compartments, said panel only partially covering the side through which folders are inserted and withdrawn from said compartments.

3. A filing cabinet as set forth in claim 1 comprising resilient means adapted to retain said panel in any adjusted position, said cabinet having a side through which folders are inserted and withdrawn from said compartments, said panel only partially covering the side through which folders are inserted and withdrawn from said compartments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 783,126 McCaskey Feb. 21, 1905 923,939 Braun June 8, 1909 1,157,159 Hick Oct. 19, 1915 1,756,415 Wood Apr. 29, 1930 1,929,095 Hutchings Oct. 3, 1933 2,148,983 Grubb Feb. 28, 1939 2,634,188 Davis Apr. 7, 1953 2,770,515 La Barre Nov. 13, 1956 2,888,811 Hargrave June 2, 1959 

1. A FILING CABINET COMPRISING RECTANGULAR COMPARTMENTS ARRANGED ONE UPON ANOTHER AND ADAPTED TO HOUSE NUMBERED FOLDERS THEREIN; SAID COMPARTMENTS HAVING INDEX MEANS MOUNTED ON A PANEL; SAID INDEX MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST AS MANY REPLACEABLE LABELLING STRIPS AS THERE ARE FOLDERS LOCATED IN SAID COMPARTMENTS; EACH OF SAID LABELLING STRIPS BEING ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID FOLDERS AND CARRYING A LABEL AND THE NUMBER OF SAID ASSOCIATED FOLDER; SAID LABEL ON SAID LABELLING STRIP BEING INDICATIVE OF THE CONTENTS OF THE FOLDER; SAID PANEL BEING LOCATED AT THE FRONT SIDE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS AND ENGAGING GUIDING MEANS EXTENDING VERTICALLY ON BOTH FRONT SIDE EDGES OF THE COMPARTMENTS SO THAT THE PANEL IS SLIDABLY DIS- 